Underwater snailien lifeforms…

Rivers are full of strange life, some of it quite interesting when you get close up.
Some snails are out in the wet sandy areas in the evening and early morning, as the day becomes too warm they work their way down into the sand and disappear.

Below: A set of lyrical snail trails, with snails burrowed into the sand at trails end.





Below: A close up of a freshwater mussel slowly working its way along in the shallow water. Note the oval opening on the right which is covered with small cilia (hair-like structures) for filtering and collecting tiny food particles.
Below: shallow water mussel trail

Empty mussel and snail shells gathered on the sand.

All images © Karen McRae, 2012